Can Alolan Sandslash be shiny in Pokemon GO?

Sandslash and its pre-evolutionary stage, Sandshrew, were first introduced to the Pokemon world during its inception alongside other Generation I pocket monsters. Later on, Generation VII’s Sun and Moon games introduced the concept of regional forms. Sandshrew and Sandslash both got Alolan forms in the Sun and Moon games.

Though they were originally Ground type, their Alolan forms are Ice/Steel type.

In Alola, Sandslash generally has light icy blue hide and steel quills covered in ice on their back. They have white claws that are longer than their Gen I counterparts and are hooked at the tips to help them scale icebergs.

Shiny Sandslash looks very similar to the regular ones, with the only difference being a slightly darker blue body color.

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Is it possible to find Shiny Sandslash in Pokemon GO?

Coming to the question at hand, Alolan Sandslash can be found in Pokemon GO, and yes, they can be shiny. To get this pocket monster, trainers must capture or hatch a shiny Alolan Sandshrew and evolve it using 50 candies.

Regular Alolan Sandslash (left), Shiny Alolan Sandslash (right) (Image via The Pokemon Company)

What is a Spotlight Hour, and when will it happen next?

Spotlight Hour is a weekly event hosted by Niantic in Pokemon GO, which offers highly boosted spawn rates for pocket monsters in the limelight. It also provides a special double bonus.

Niantic has confirmed that there will be a Spotlight Hour for Alolan Sandshrew that will go live on Tuesday, January 3, 2023. On this date, the Ice/Steel type Alolan will appear more frequently in the wild between 6 pm and 7 pm local time. No matter where in the world players are, they will have access to this event.

Unlike events like Community Day, the chances of encountering a shiny version of Alolan Sanshrew is not boosted during Spotlight Hour, as has been confirmed by the developers.

This has been confirmed by other Pokemon GO analysis sites such as The Sliph Road, which state that the odds remain around 1 in 500 even during Spotlight hour; however, the chances of encountering the shiny version increase proportionally as more pocket monsters spawn than usual.

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How trainers can prepare to get shiny Alolan Sandslash

Encountering a shiny pocket monster is a matter of great patience and might require some monetary investment in getting Pokeballs or Incense if players run out of stock.

If they are extremely lucky, players will need to catch only 13 Sandshrew, one of which is shiny, and they will be able to evolve that one into a shiny Sandslash; however, this is a very unlikely scenario. Therefore it is better to be prepared by doing the following things:

• Have enough Poke Balls to catch multiple Sandshrews during the Spotlight Hour.
• Have enough Berries to make catching easier, or get double Candy from the caught Sandshrew.
• Clear out their Pokemon Storage Box to ensure enough room for all the Sandshrew they will catch.
• Save Incense for the event or purchase one to make the most of it.